


Set the Example

by IntrovertedRavenclaw



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Caring Magnus Bane, Good Parent Maryse Lightwood, Hurt Alec Lightwood, Leader Alec Lightwood, M/M, Maryse Lightwood Redemption, Sick Alec Lightwood, Tired Alec Lightwood, except he's not technically hurt but close enough, good old parental lecture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2019-10-06 07:52:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17341505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IntrovertedRavenclaw/pseuds/IntrovertedRavenclaw
Summary: "You're a leader, so now more than ever before, you need to set a good example for everyone else." She tells her son, beginning to soften when she looks into his eyes and the extent of his illness registers in her mind. "That includes taking care of yourself when you get sick."Maryse stops into Alec's office and finds him both miserably sick and trying to work.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Had this idea bouncing around in my head for a while and decided to give it a shot. We stan Maryse Lightwood's character development. 
> 
> Probably takes place sometime during late season 2.

Maryse means to just pop into Alec's office before she leaves the Institute, maybe catch up with him quickly if he is not too busy, but when she knocks on the door and hears his quiet _"come in"_ , she sighs in exasperation. 

"Alec," Maryse says, taking in her son's appearance. He's flushed, his nose is pink and inflamed, and his eyes look puffy and tired. The desk is scattered with used tissues. "What's wrong?"

Alec sighs heavily. "I'm a little under the weather."

"I'll say." Maryse crosses behind the desk as Alec starts coughing. "You're sick."

He doesn't respond, just sniffles. 

"Alec, let me feel your head," Maryse says. 

"I'm fine," he grumbles. Maryse places her palm on his forehead anyway, and her suspicions are confirmed when he leans into her touch. "Your hand is cold."

"No, you are feverish." Maryse frowns. "You look awful, why don't you go rest?"

Alec groans, resting his head on the desk. "I have so much work to do."

"You can delegate tasks," she urges him. "You should not be working while you're sick."

"There have been six demon attacks already so far today in various parts of the city," Alec coughs, a wet, chesty sound. "And Valentine is still a threat, we've had people either go missing or turn out to be on his side more than ever these past few..." He trails off, holding a hand up, and ducks his head to sneeze violently. "These past few weeks. Ugh." He reaches for a tissue to wipe his running nose. 

"You sound awful." Maryse cuts in. "How long have you been sick?"

"Only about a week," Alec answers, but she is not placated. 

"A week? Alec, honey, you need to take care of yourself." Maryse feels his forehead again. 

"I don't have time." Alec croaks, his voice breaking. "I don't have anyone to step in for me, anyway."

"Nothing will go up in flames if you go home." Maryse sighs. "You may be the head of the Institute now, but there's no duty you have that is so important that it's worth sacrificing your health for. You are running yourself to the ground. That is not what a leader does."

Alec looks quizzically at her, and she continues, "as a leader, it is imperative that you take good care of yourself. You are no good to yourself or anyone else here in this Institute when you're sick like this." 

He coughs harshly, wincing in pain slightly. "I know," Alec chokes out. "That's why I'm trying..." he coughs again. "I'm trying to work. I can't let anyone down. I _can't_... I can't let anyone get hurt because I'm in bed with a head cold." 

"No, no, you're misunderstanding me," Maryse interjects. "When you're sick, your judgment is clouded. You should not be making life or death decisions, not with a fever like that."

Her son is stubborn, and she fully expects him to argue, but he doesn't. He just nods, sniffling thickly. 

"I know you know this, you are the firstborn and your entire life, your siblings have looked to you as the example." Maryse continues. "It's no different as a leader. Every shadowhunter in this institute has probably looked to you at some point for something." 

"I don't get what this has to do with me being sick," Alec states flatly. He has his usual serious expression on his face, but it is more weary looking than usual, his puffy eyes bloodshot and glazed over. 

"How would you like it if any one of the shadowhunters here, even Isabelle or Jace, continued working just as hard, even when they were clearly too sick to be doing so?" 

His eyes widen slightly. "That would be a disaster. I wouldn't be able to send them out on patrol, and they probably couldn't do any administrative work either... it would slow down the..." he trails off as he realizes her point. "Oh."

"Alec, people are watching what you do and following your example. I've seen it, in ways that are  mostly good, but still, you have to act responsibly." Maryse says. "Even when you're sick, people notice, and people will follow what you do."

Alec sighs heavily. "I guess that makes sense." 

"You're a leader, so now more than ever before, you need to set a good example for everyone else." She tells her son, beginning to soften when she looks into his eyes and the extent of his illness registers in her mind. "That includes taking care of yourself when you get sick."

"I hate being sick." He coughs into the sleeve of his shirt. "I hate feeling useless."

"You will be out of commission longer if you don't slow down." Maryse gestures to the tissues scattered across the desk. "Have you even gotten much work done these past few days?"

"No, not really," Alec admits sheepishly. 

"See, you need to rest. I can take over some of your administrative work, and I am sure Isabelle and Jace will be happy to help." Maryse places a hand on his shoulder, which is radiating feverish heat. The action itself is slightly awkward; she has never been very affectionate, even with her children. Alec, to his credit, seems so miserable that he does not even notice. 

"I'll... call Magnus," Alec says slowly. "These all need to get out by tonight," he gestures to one stack of papers. "And this other pile can probably wait until next week. Could you...?"

"Yes," Maryse picks up the first stack of papers and flips through them, taking stock. Alec nods and pulls out his phone, finding Magnus' contact. 

Maryse catches bits of the conversation. 

_"Ready to admit you're sick?"_ she hears Magnus ask.

"Yeah," Alec sighs. "Can you-"

"I'll be right there." 

A few minutes later, the warlock strides into the office and places the backs of both of his hands on Alec's cheeks. 

"Oh, you poor thing," Magnus says, looking at Alec with utter sympathy. "Let's get you home. There's a nice, comfortable bed and a pot of hot chicken soup waiting for you."

As he coaxes Alec up out of the office chair and disposes of all of the used tissues with a snap of his fingers, Maryse meets his eyes. 

"There. Disinfected the desk for you. No more plague germs." Magnus says, the last part is directed at Alec, who rolls his eyes. 

"Thank you," Maryse says. Years ago, she would have never thought of thanking the warlock for anything, but as she watches him fuss over Alec's condition, her heart softens. Her son is obviously in the best hands. 

As Magnus takes Alec's hand and they start to exit the office to go home, Maryse calls out one last instruction.

"Alec, I don't want to see you here until at least Friday." 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter, as suggested by sdewan6. A little sibling fluff once Jace and Isabelle find out Alec is sick.

After Magnus comes to the Institute and takes care of Alec, Maryse heads to find Jace or Isabelle. She goes to the weapons room first and is relieved that Isabelle is there. 

"Mom," Isabelle says. "What's going on?"

"Your brother is sick, so do you think you could help take on some of the responsibilities around here until he's feeling better?" Maryse asks.

"Oh, so he finally went home?" Isabelle asks. "Jace and I have been taking on a lot of his work for the past few days because he's been too sick to get anything done but too stubborn to go home."

Maryse sighs in relief. "Good. I'll cover anything else in the meantime."

"Was he... Was it really bad?" Isabelle asks worriedly.

"No," Maryse answers. "It looked like a bad cold. I told him to stop working, and not to come back until Friday, and he called Magnus and went to Magnus' place, I presume."

"I should go see him," Isabelle decides. "Call me if anything urgent happens."

"Make sure you keep your distance," Maryse warns. She's been giving this lecture since they were all little kids. If one of them ever got sick, they all ended up sick because the siblings just could not stay away from each other. She has memories of little Isabelle climbing into Alec's bed when she had a fever and Alec subsequently running a fever in the next few days. Another time, Jace caught a stomach virus and it was barely even a day later when Alec and Isabelle had caught it as well, as Alec sat with Jace all through the night and Isabelle brought Jace anything that he might need while he was ill. Or, there was a time when Alec was quarantined to his bedroom with the flu and Isabelle and Jace had both snuck in to "cheer him up", which led to all three of them being out sick for a week. 

Even into adulthood, her kids have not changed, Maryse muses, because Isabelle is running off to see her brother who is probably (definitely) contagious. 

"I will, mom," Isabelle says, even though they both know that is unlikely. "Oh, by the way, I'm bringing Jace too."

Great. Maryse wonders how long it will be until all of her children (Max excluded) are bedridden with colds. 

\---

Isabelle and Jace knock on the door, which is answered by a tired-looking Alec. 

"I could've gotten it, sweetheart," Magnus calls from the other room. 

"It's fine," Alec replies. His voice sounds pitifully stuffy and slightly hoarse. "Hey. What are you doing here?"

"We thought we'd come to see how you were doing," Jace explains. 

"Mom said you finally admitted you're sick," Isabelle continues. "We thought maybe it could be like old times— you know how us Lightwoods always take care of each other." 

"If you don't mind that I'm probably contagious," Alec ducks his head to cough, stepping aside to let them in. 

And of course, they don't mind the petri dish of cold germs that is their older brother right now. Alec sits down on the couch and covers himself with a light blanket, resting his head on the back of the couch. The couch is strewn with used tissues, but Jace simply brushes them aside to sit next to Alec. Isabelle sits on the chair opposite them. 

Magnus emerges from the apothecary sometime later with a vial of a potion, which he hands to Alec. 

"What's this for?" Alec asks, eyeing the vial hesitantly. 

"It's supposed to ease your cold symptoms while giving your immune system a boost," Magnus explains. "Unfortunately, colds are beyond even the best warlock healers, but this will help a little."

Alec takes it like a shot, wrinkling his nose. Jace hands him the half-empty bottle of water that sits on the coffee table, presumably to wash down the flavor of the medicine. Magnus sits on the other side of Alec on the couch, bringing a hand up to his cheek. 

"You're still so warm," Magnus murmurs. 

Alec sneezes. He lets out a groan as he sits up, reaching for a tissue as his nose starts to run. 

"Have you taken his temperature yet?" Isabelle asks. 

"No, I figured it's just a low-grade fever, so I haven't been monitoring it too closely," Magnus answers. 

Isabelle stands up and places the back of her hand on Alec's forehead. "I'll go find a thermometer." As she gets up, she sees Jace put his hand on Alec's forehead too, and catches Alec complaining about how everyone keeps touching his face. 

She goes into the bedroom, then ventures into the bathroom and goes through the cabinet, finding a thermometer after digging through Magnus' endless cosmetic products filling the medicine cabinet. When she returns, Alec is curled up against Magnus on the couch, and Jace holding the box of tissues, handing one to his brother. 

"Here, let's see how high the fever is," Isabelle says, handing the thermometer to her brother. 

"It isn't that bad," Alec grumbles, placing it under his tongue. When it gives a reading, he adds, "100.4 isn't high, Izzy."

"It's high enough for mom to ban you from working for three days." She counters. Alec slumps against Magnus, defeated and coughing faintly. 

 "She's right, you know," Jace says. 

"No one asked you," Alec murmurs, letting his eyes drop closed as he throws an arm around Magnus. 

Isabelle and Jace look at each other, suppressing laughs. Alec is always grumpy when he's sick— that is, after he's done being stubborn and actually admits that he's sick. 

Later, Magnus has to leave for a house call with a client, and Isabelle and Jace spend the afternoon passing tissues to their brother while a movie plays. Alec is sprawled out on the couch, sneezing constantly and looking overall miserable. Jace sits on the floor next to him and Isabelle sits across from them, her attention divided between the movie and her brothers. 

\---

It's two days of misery before Alec can breathe through his nose again, and though he is maybe not one hundred percent, he decides that he is well enough to return to work. He pushes open the door to his office and is met with his mother sitting at his desk. 

"Hey," Alec greets. 

"How are you feeling?" Maryse asks. 

"Much better," Alec says. His body betrays him and he coughs. 

"Really?" His mother looks skeptical. 

"I am!" Alec protests. "I'm fine. I'm not going on patrol for a few more days, just doing the administrative work, and I'm probably not even contagious anymore, either."

"Speaking of contagious," Maryse sighs. "Jace and Isabelle are both out sick, so you'll have to reorganize patrol teams for the next few days."

"I'm assuming they both caught my cold?" Alec asks, smiling a little. When they were kids, if one of them got sick they all got sick, and it does not seem to have changed now that they are grown up. 

Maryse nods. 

"I'm going to go check on them," Alec says. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Leave me a comment if you liked it! :)


End file.
